Yamatokōriyama

Yamatokōriyama
is a city in Nara Prefecture, Japan. , the city has an estimated population of 84,059 and 38,944 households.
Geography
Yamato Koriyama is located in the northern part of the Nara Basin and stretches approximately 9 km from east to west and 7 km from north to south covering an area about 42 square kilometers.
Two rivers, the and the flow through the city from north to south and merge into the Yamato River that flows westwards towards Osaka.
The majority of the city is flat, although to the west of the Tomio River it rises to the Yata hills.
In general, the city has a temperate climate and is classified as having an "inland climate": a wide range of temperature bringing hot summers and cold winters, but heavy snows are rare, at most once a year.
There are 6 railway stations, (JR Koriyama, JR Yamatokoizumi, Kintetsu Koriyama, Kintetsu Kujo, Kintetsu Tsutsui, and Kintetsu Hirahata), and it takes about 40 minutes to travel to Osaka on the JR line and 45 minutes to Kyoto on the Kintetsu line. Nara is just one stop away on the JR line.
The city produces various agricultural, commercial, and factory products. For example, cultivation of rice and fresh vegetables such as strawberries and tomatoes is thriving.
A large shopping mall on the edge of the city and many large shopping centres in the suburbs are sustaining commercial industry. The "Showa Kogyo Danchi," industrial zone, located in the southern part of the city is the largest in Nara Prefecture and employs a large number of workers. Recently, the numbers of laborers from Brazil and Asian countries such as Vietnam and Indonesia working there is on the increase.
Yamatokoriyama is well known for the cultivation of goldfish, a motif widely seen around the city. In the Koriyama Castle site area, the original stone wall has remained intact for nearly 400 years, and the castle draws large numbers of visitors to the "Oshiro Matsuri" festival, which is held every year in the spring when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom.
Neighboring municipalities
Yamatokōriyama adjoins the following municipalities.
Nara
Ikoma
Tenri
Ando
Ikaruga
Kawanishi
Notable locations
Koriyama Castle
Construction of the castle was started by the Sengoku daimyō Tsutsui Junkei. Toyotomi Hidenaga later made it his residence and it became the headquarters of the Kōriyama Domain in the Edo period. The castle was held at various times by members of the Mizuno, Okudaira Matsudaira, Honda, Fujii Matsudaira, and Yanagisawa clans.
Shrines
Meta Shrine
Yanagisawa Shrine
Kasuga Shrine
Koizumi Shrine
Temples
Matsuo-dera
Yata-dera
Jikō-in
Kyūshō-ji
Kakuan-ji
Other
Dainagon-zuka (grave of Toyotomi Hidenaga)
Notable people
Yanagisawa Yoriyasu, Japanese samurai of the Edo period
Shigeru Joshima, Japanese musician, actor and guitarist, leader and member of the rock band Tokio
Yoshinori Fujimoto, Japanese professional golfer (Japan Golf Tour)
Kazuyoshi Shirahama, Japanese politician, member of the New Komeito Party, and member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature)
Yoshimoto Ishin, Japanese businessman and Buddhist monk (Jōdo Shinshū)
Yoshiyuki Kamei, Japanese professional baseball player for the Yomiuri Giants in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball
Sanae Takaichi, Japanese politician, member of the Liberal Democratic Party and member of the House of Representatives
Education
High schools
Nara Gakuen
Kōriyama High School
Yamatochūō High School
Junior high schools
Kōriyama Junior High School
Kōriyama-Minami Junior High School
Kōriyama-Nishi Junior High School
Kōriyama-Higashi Junior High School
Katagiri Junior High School
Transportation
Rail
West Japan Railway Company
Kansai Main Line (Yamatoji Line): Kōriyama Station – Yamato-Koizumi Station
Kintetsu Railway
Kashihara Line: Kujō Station – Kintetsu-Kōriyama Station – Tsutsui Station – Hirahata Station – Family-Kōemmae Station
Tenri Line: Hirahata Station
Road
Expressways
Nishi-Meihan Expressway
Keinawa Expressway (under construction)
National Route 24
National Route 25
National Route 308
Cycling
The cycling route from Nara to Asuka designated by Nara Prefecture as Route C7 runs through the city.
Sister cities
Yamatokōriyama has been twinned with Kōfu, Yamanashi, in Japan since 1992. The two cities are twinned because during the Edo period the Yanagisawa family were transferred from Kofu to Yamatokoriyama under Kunigae (国替), a policy in which daimyōs were transferred from one post to the next.
References
External links
Cities in Nara Prefecture